


Merry Martian Christmas

by Amyole



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Christmas, F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22137463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amyole/pseuds/Amyole
Summary: When Relena moves to Mars, she can finally have a family Christmas with her brother.
Relationships: Dorothy Catalonia/Relena Peacecraft, Zechs Merquise/Lucrezia Noin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8
Collections: Gundam Wing Holiday Gift Exchange 2019





	Merry Martian Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AngelT](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelT/gifts).



“You moved the flowers.” It was a statement, not a question, and though she tried her best to make it factual and without judgement, Relena could hear Dorothy’s disapproval plainly.

“I prefer them in the alcove,” Relena explained. “They brighten it up.”

“But no one can see them in the alcove. We can put a candle in the alcove and ‘brighten it up.’ Everyone can see the flowers on this table,” argued Dorothy.

“Brighten as in make cheery,” Relena retorted flatly. She gave Dorothy an exasperated but amused look. “We can put something else on the table. Perhaps a wreath with lit advent candles.”

“Quite religious, don’t you think?”

“It’s _festive_ ,” Relena insisted, poking her lover’s side. “I swear you’re more worried about Milliardo and Lucrezia’s visit than I am.”

“ _You_ didn’t grow up with his constant judgement.” As soon as it escaped her lips, she regretted her words. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t worry about it. If he’s making _you_ this neurotic, I’m glad I didn’t meet him until he became more fun.” Relena laughed, but Dorothy could tell that it bothered her being reminded yet again that Dorothy had a connection to her brother that should have been hers. The siblings had kept in touch since she was fifteen, but they had missed out on a shared childhood. Dorothy had lucked out and gotten one with him. She tried not to mention it too much to Relena, but how could one just stop mentioning large portions of her childhood?

Still, Dorothy made a mental note to find a way to make it up to her later. Right now she needed to right the flower situation.

“Do you have the address?” Lucrezia asked.

“Yes, of course. Just like I had it when we left the house, when we got to the airport, when we landed, and now that we’re waiting on our bags, I still have it,” Milliardo insisted. “I’m sure we can probably just tell the taxi to take us to the large pink and gold mansion anyway.”

“You’re hilarious,” his wife replied dryly. “Relena and Dorothy are adults now. I’m sure they’ve decorated it quite tastefully.”

Lucrezia readjusted her carry-on shoulder bag and looked in vain to see if the bags were coming out yet. “You know,” she continued as a thought struck her, “this is the first holiday where we’re visiting _family_ on Mars.”

“Yes,” he smiled. “I think we’re pioneers in this, too. Probably not the first, but despite the population size, I don’t think there are that many families spread out here yet requiring too many people to travel to visit them.”

“It’s an exciting thought, but it’s a shame it’s for the summer Christmas instead of the winter one.” 

“This time, we’re having a Christmas like they do in the Southern Hemisphere on Earth.”

“I still don’t understand why they chose to live out where instead of closer to us. I know Relena wants to get out of the spotlight, but we managed to do it,” he pointed out.

“ _We_ weren’t the one of the people driving the terraforming project. I think Relena fears that there will be too many ‘gracious’ souls in the capital with us. They only landed a few weeks ago. Maybe after they see just how quiet it is out here, they’ll want to visit us more in the so-called city.” To say life on Mars was sleepy compared to Earth was an understatement. Not that he was complaining _too_ much. It did allow him to have a relatively “normal” life.

“I’m sure it’s going to drive Dorothy crazy. She always needed stimulation as a child.”

“Perhaps she’s mellowed now that she’s, as you pointed out, an adult.”

“Dorothy? Mellow? Sure. Oh, finally. The bags.”

It probably took only about a minute for their bags to materialize on the conveyor belt, but it felt like at least five. Once they had their bags, they made their way outside to catch a taxi. They had insisted on taking one instead of making either of the girls scramble to find a vehicle. With the big move and the village being very walkable, they had not gotten around to obtaining one yet.

“Where are we going?” asked the driver once the couple was in the back.

“My husband has the address.”

He searched his pockets. He could have sworn he put that piece of paper in one of his inner pockets. Nope. Not there. Had he moved it to one of the outer ones after all of Lucrezia’s questions? Nope. Out of luck there, too. He opened his phone to get it. Huh.

“I don’t have it.”

“It’s so good to see you two!” exclaimed Relena as she hugged her brother and sister-in-law. “It’s been so long! How are you? How was the flight?”

“Been way too long,” Lucrezia agreed. “This is much better than swapping recorded video messages.”

“The flight was good, pretty short,” Milliardo reported. “Good to see you in the flesh—and on Mars!” They made their way inside.

“Very pretty flowers,” complimented Lucrezia upon entering the house.

“Thanks, the flowers here are so beautiful!”

“What are your thoughts on our planet?” Milliardo asked Relena.

“Oh it’s wonderful! More so than I could have imagined. I knew Earth needed a lot of work, but I didn’t realize how much until we got here.”

“I thought you came here before during a project visit or something,” Lucrezia said.

“No, I was supposed to, but I was very ill a couple days before we were supposed to come, so I got left behind. I could only watch from videos.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Is Dorothy hiding from us?”

“From you, Milliardo, maybe, but I think she’ll be here in a moment,” Relena explained. “She ran out to get something from the store a few minutes ago. She was hoping to get back before you arrived.”

“We can go wait out by the curb and pretend we’ve just arrived,” Milliardo offered with humor. “Hopefully we won’t die of heat stroke.”

“Why should you die of heat stroke? It’s not _that_ hot outside,” came a voice from the living room door.

“Dorothy, it’s great to see you,” greeted Lucrezia.

Dorothy greeted her in-laws and joined Relena on the couch.

“It’s good to all be together again,” smiled Relena. “We have a Christmas ham for dinner, and I selected my favorite Christmas movies to watch tonight!”

“She won’t let me watch _my_ favorite,” Dorothy complained as she played with Relena’s hair. “Just because there’s some blood in it.”

“I told you: that’s not a Christmas movie,” Relena insisted, wrinkling her nose at Dorothy.

“Let’s stick to lighthearted fluff,” agreed Lucrezia.

Milliardo decided to keep any opinion he had to himself.

That evening, after a large, filling dinner, they settled in on the couches to watch the movies Relena had chosen. Lucrezia suggested to turn off all the lights and watch the movies by the light of fire in the fireplace. It would be so much cozier, she insisted. Relena and Dorothy readily agreed. Milliardo was outvoted.

The first movie of the night was a lighthearted, sappy romance about a woman needing to find love before Christmas Eve or else she would lose the family bow-making business and turn into a wooden nutcracker. Though at first it seemed she was doomed to be unlovable, within twenty minutes, the lead’s female best friend confessed her undying love for her and her male co-worker revealed he was falling for her. How would she ever choose?!

Somehow she did, but Milliardo missed who won the movie plot because he got distracted watering plants in a game on his phone. They were very thirsty.

The second movie followed Santa’s second cousin Nicholas, who was tired of always being compared to or mistaken for his more famous relative. Non-saint Nick left the North Pole to make a name for himself, taking two elves and a reindeer with him for good measure. In New York City, as these movies always seemed to be set, he somehow found a place to stay that allowed him to keep the reindeer, named Jeff. Non-saint Nick made his way into the profession he decided was most unlike Christmas: hedge funds. After a year, making more money than he could ever need, he learned the true meaning of Christmas and bought toys for all the children his cousin tended to forget around the burroughs.

“Wasn’t that sweet?” sighed Relena, cradling her hot chocolate. She sat on the loveseat under a blanket with Dorothy.

“It was,” agreed Dorothy, “but he should’ve kept some of the money in an account so he could buy presents next year.”

“Perhaps he went back to the North Pole and talked Santa into paying better attention to his list,” offered Lucrezia. She sat on the end of the couch closest to the other women, under her own blanket with her own hot chocolate.

“Checking it twice isn’t enough?” asked Milliardo. He sat at the other end of the couch, far away from the blanket and anything else that would raise his temperature anymore than the summer heat and the fire were already doing.

“Clearly not,” his wife pointed out.

“Speaking of Santa, should we exchange gifts now, or tomorrow morning?” asked Relena.

“I think tomorrow after breakfast,” Lucrezia decided. Mostly because, Milliardo knew, the two of them still had to wrap the ones they brought with them.

“Well, then, I have a small surprise,” quietly announced Dorothy. She slipped out from under the blanket and lithely dashed out of the room.

She returned quickly with four small cubes in her hand, promptly doling one out to each of them. Opening the boxes, they each had a small Christmas Stollen.

“I always had one on Christmas Eve,” Dorothy explained, “and when Relena and I spent our first Christmas together, she said she always had one, too. I found a little bakery in town that made them.”

“A nice little tradition we all share,” smiled Lucrezia.

Milliardo looked at his little cake and smiled as well. It was funny how such a small thing could connect them together as a family and make it seem feel festive.

“Merry Christmas, everyone.”


End file.
